The present invention relates to an eyeglass nose pad system, and more particularly to a nose pad for an eyeglass frame, an eyeglass frame usable with such a nose pad, and an eyeglass frame and nose pad assembly.
Many types of nose pad constructions for eyeglasses are known, including those which are removable, adjustable or exchangeable with other nose pads, especially for achieving a desired fit of a given pair of eyeglasses for the particular wearer. These known constructions are for the most part complicated in construction, design and adjustment, expensive to produce, and/or often require extraneous parts or materials such as adjustment tools, the use of adhesive cement, and the like. The arguable advantage of precise adjustment of nose pads on a pair of eyeglasses for a particular individual is generally completely offset by the above disadvantages, whereas those non-adjustable nose pads of simple design and low cost such as pressure sensitive adhesive add on nose pads are subject to premature loosening, slipping and disassembly.
Splaine (U.S. Pat. No. 2,392,418) shows an eyeglass frame in which holes are drilled therethrough from the front side to the rear side of the non-metal lens frame rim and nose bridge element to mount the separate metal temple element thereto by a plate and rivet connection system. The lenses are snap fitted into the usual internal grooves of the non-metal frame rims upon heating the rims sufficiently to expand them and render them pliable to pressure insertion of the lenses in the usual manner. The nose pads are provided as rigid extensions integral with the frame rims, and the plate and rivet connection system is remote from the lenses and internal lens grooves of the frame rims.
Belgard (U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,988) shows complex eyeglass nose pads formed of a projecting stud stationarily externally fixed to the frame rim by cement or fusing means or as an integral extension on the rim, plus a separate socket recess containing pad partially mounted via the recess on the stud and held in place by bending a pair of external tabs on the pad inwardly against the adjacent exposed portion of the stud. Different pads contain their recesses in different positions relative to the profile of the pads so that a given pad may be selected as more appropriate for a particular wearer's nose. One pad may be exchanged for another by loosening the tabs to remove a given pad from the projecting stud and replacing it with one having a recess in a different position relative to the pad profile.
Bononi (U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,784 and its counterpart German patent document Off. No. 2,613,151) shows a blind shallow slot recess in the nose pad area of the eyeglass frame rim in which a separate generally L-shaped nose pad is inserted and firmly bonded in place. The blind slot recess is remote from and does not communicate with the lens holding groove of the rim.
Kahne (German Pat. No. 757,047) shows a similar blind shallow slot recess in the nose pad area of the eyeglass frame rim in which a separate projection containing nose pad is inserted and presumably firmly bonded in place.
Bradley, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,393) shows a separate removable nosepiece containing both pads integrally therein which is mounted as a unit between the eyeglass frame rims and attached to each by a complex system of screws and shims acting as lock washers. The nose piece is mounted by such screws on projections integral with the frame rims and disposed in the normal areas of the usual integral rigid nose pads, and thus the screws and their holes are remote from the lenses and internal lens grooves of the frame rims.
Schlierf (German patent document Off. No. 2,049,668) concerns a nose pad for an eyeglass frame arrangement in which a blind screw hole is provided in the nose pad for fixing it to the pad arm (not shown), and thus allowing pads to be changed to suit the wearer.
McCulloch (U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,803) shows a notch like recess in the nose pad area of the eyeglass frame rim and a separate split ring type internal groove containing lens holder having a rigid nose pad stud which is insertable into the notch like recess of the frame rim, after which a screw near the temple element hinge may be tightened to clamp the lens holder in the frame rim with the rigid nose pad in the usual position.
These known constructions which are exemplary of the prior art do not provide simple, low cost constructions of nose pads of comfortable usage and which are at the same time easily and rapidly lockingly mounted to the frame rims of eyeglasses.